Meet Miss England 2022! Aerospace engineering student, 26, who was bullied in school over her ginger locks becomes the first redhead to be crowned at the beauty contest
- Jessica Gagen, 26, has become the first redhead to claim Miss England title
- She was crowned at the prestigious pageant final held in Birmingham last night
- The aerospace engineering student will now represent England at Miss World
An aerospace engineer who was bullied for her ginger locks in school has become the first redhead to be crowned in Miss England’s 94-year history.
Jessica Gagen, 26, beat 30 other beauty queens to take the title at the final of the prestigious pageant held in Birmingham.
Her victory comes after overcoming school bullying in secondary school – including being punched, spat on, and even burned – all because of her naturally ginger locks.
Jessica – who will now represent England at Miss World – was also subjected to name-calling, having things thrown at her head and was forced to eat her school dinner in the toilets in a bid to escape the abuse.
Her confidence – shattered by cruel classmates – slowly grew after the student was signed up by a modelling agency following her A-Levels.
Jessica Gagen, 26, beat 30 other beauty queens to take the title at the final of the prestigious pageant held in Birmingham
Her victory comes after overcoming school bullying in secondary school – including being punched, spat on, and even burned – all because of her naturally ginger locks
Jessica took to catwalks across the globe as she overcame her past issues.
She went on to enter Miss England and was runner-up in the grand final last year, narrowly losing out to Rehema Muthamia.
Now, she has gone one better and silenced the bullies to take the title of Miss England 2022 at the glitzy final held at the Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport.
Jessica, who is studying for an integrated master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Liverpool, said she was determined more than ever to win.
Her victory comes after overcoming school bullying in secondary school – including being punched, spat on, and even burned – all because of her naturally ginger locks
Jessica, who is studying for an integrated master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Liverpool, said she was determined more than ever to win
Jessica – who will now represent England at Miss World – was also subjected to name-calling, having things thrown at her head and was forced to eat her school dinner in the toilets in a bid to escape the abuse
Jessica, originally from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, said: ‘Throughout secondary school I was teased for being a redhead.
‘I didn’t mention it much during last year’s competition as I’m a big believer in leaving negativity in the past, but with there never having been a red-haired Miss England.’
The winner stressed she believes it’s ‘important to educate people about what redheads face in school’ to empower children who may be experiencing what she did.
‘I was name-called on the daily, and although I don’t think the kids were being malicious in doing so, there were definitely times they were,’ she added. ‘I used to get really upset about it all, but I’m determined to show kids who are facing the same thing that it won’t happen forever.’
Chess champion Emily Cossey (left), 24, from Chelsea, London and HGV driver Milly Everatt (right), 22, from Eastoft, Lincolnshire, were announced as second and third place runners up
Jessica signed with multiple agencies and started modelling internationally at 18 and will now compete on the world stage representing England.
She revealed that while her campaign both this year and last was to get girls into STEM subjects, the experience made her realise the importance of empowering girls who look like her.
‘I looked back and I was thinking there are not many that redheads on TV,’ she said. ‘I think it would be so good if there could be somebody in that kind of position who is a redhead. Even last year there wasn’t one redhead in Miss World.
‘I thought if I could win this, I could empower kids who being bullied for the way that they look and the colour of their hair.’
Alongside modelling, Jessica has helped raise over the £6,000 for local charities and, in 2021, she raised funds for Beauty with a Purpose
She admitted that, being the only redhead in her family, she was ‘always looking for somebody who kind of understood the bullying through school’.
‘It is nice to be able to represent the younger kids and say “I have been through it and you can use that pain to raise your game”,’ she said. ‘Make it your superpower.’
Alongside modelling, Jessica has helped raise over the £6,000 for local charities and, in 2021, she raised funds for Beauty with a Purpose.
She ran 5k in fancy dress every day consecutively for 96 days in Liverpool, and is known locally as Fancy-Dress Jess.
Chess champion Emily Cossey, 24, from Chelsea, London and HGV driver Milly Everatt, 22, from Eastoft, Lincolnshire, were announced as second and third place runners up.
Source: Read Full Article
